Rivals in Love
by The White Lotus
Summary: Harry's fighting a confused battle. The battlefield: his sexuality. As Draco continues to taunt Harry, his victim, though regrettably at first, begins to develop feelings for his Slytherin rival. How does such an forbidden love happen? UPDATED. R&R Please
1. Confusion

_**Rivals in Love**_

_A _Harry Potter_ fan fiction_

_Hello all! This is my first time ever putting up a fan fiction of _Harry Potter_ on this website and although it is my first time, if you decide to read this fan fiction, then I would really appreciate any comments anyone has to offer. I desire the readers who wish to review this to be __**brutally**__ honest in their criticisms, as well as constructive. I can learn through honesty, and I really would wish that I received it. Thank you._

_As for this fan fiction, before reading it, I would like you to be warned. This fan fiction contains male-to-male relationships between Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy (although such combinations may seem prevalent in these scenarios, I'm trying to base this fan fiction more on passion than infatuation), so if you are uncomfortable with reading about such scenarios, then please do not read this._

_Also, the setting takes place in the fifth year of Harry Potter and his peers in Hogwarts. It's slightly different from the book but please bear with me._

_As a personal note, I am not a homosexual or a bisexual, I'm in fact straight, but I do believe when it comes to authoring any literature-based piece, restrictions should not be allowed as long as the work of art is respectful._

_Thank you for your time,_

_The White Lotus_

_--------------------------------------------------- _

_**Chapter One - Confusion**_

"Hey, Potter!" yelled a smirking boy with sleek blonde hair that fell over his forehead. He smiled, looking back at his pathetic followers, who grinned solely because the blonde boy did so. He took a crunched up piece of parchment and threw it up in the air, aiming his wand towards it, which then the wrinkled ball flew speedily and directly at his famous victim.

"Potter! Where are you going, to your ever beloved Dumbledore?" he continued to taunt, as his black-haired victim walked on into the school.

It was a nice day out, with the sun gleaming like a yellow gem, expanding its rays across the cloudless blue sky and down at the warm earth. A cool breeze complimented the beautiful weather as the lake stood still and crystallized, as the dense Forbidden Forest lit with a golden-tint at the top but dark when inside, and as the grass swayed, blowing in the direction of the wind. There was an hour of free time before students had classes, and everyone decided to spend their time outside on this marvelous day. _Everyone_ literally meant _everyone_. Including enemies – such as Draco and Harry.

"Ignore him, Harry," Hermione rushed as she whispered. With Ron to one side and Hermione on the other, Harry's angry face pushed through the open oak doors into the grand school of witchcraft and wizardry. Draco and his group of followers were following them in the school, though slowly and with great distance from the trio. The two groups of fifth years – Harry's Gryffindor trio and Draco's Slytherin gang, shot nasty look at each other, in which when Harry's bushy haired friend that was a brunette did, Draco was quick to comment.

"Looking at me, are you Granger?" he sneered, "Your dirty mudblood eyes don't deserve a sight of who you just glared at," he laughed, following them in the school as his Slytherin friends gawked in forced laughter.

"_No_ girl would want to look at you, Malfoy, except your concubine Pansy," shot Hermione very irritatingly and angrily, her face turning a tint of pink. She rushed ahead of Ron and Harry as she went up the marble staircase towards the Gryffindor common room. Her two other friends, glancing at each other, followed Hermione slowly, still ignoring the rude comments passed by their counter-parts.

Since the paper ball bounced off Harry's head and Harry chose to ignore him, Draco had picked it up and once again aimed it at Harry. He threw it straight at the scarred boy and this time managed for it to hit him, making it fall into the back of his robes as it went down his back. When Harry struggled to get it out, it finally fell, bouncing a bit and then finally resting on the marble stairwell. Malfoy and his Slytherin friends laughed as they passed Harry and Ron to the Great Hall where they would tell their taunting tales to other Slytherins. Picking up the crumbled ball and opening it, Harry read what it wrote: _Potter is gay, Potter is gay, Potter says he men make his day! _With an obscene picture on the bottom of the poem.

Immediately blushing for a moment, Ron began to inquire what was in the note. Alarmed, Harry tucked it into his robes, muttered that it was something stupid, and began to walk up the moving staircases towards his respective common room. The famous scar-holding boy turned and twirled Malfoy's message in his mind as both him and red-head friend treaded up the enchanted steps.

Lately, Malfoy made many jokes about Harry's sexuality. Calling him names such as 'gay-boy' or 'men-lover,' or other obscene words, and the 'fun' was, Draco found pleasure in torturing Harry in his new-found way. During classes that Gryffindor and Slytherin's had together, Malfoy would sneakily pass notes to Harry regarding homosexuality. Some were moving pictures of Harry performing sexual acts with Draco, in which Harry was submissive to him, and other notes with rude comments. Harry didn't appreciate this, and fortunately for him, word of Draco's deed didn't get out to everyone. Though something small inside Harry made him smile with the thought that Draco tortured him this way.

Finally reaching the Fat Lady, Harry said slowly and thoughtfully, "Gubbleworms."  
"A bit musing today, are we?" the Fat Lady said with a small smile.  
Receiving no response from Harry or Ron, she sighed, mumbled to herself, and swung open. About to go in, the duo saw Hermione making her away out.  
"Hi guys, I'm going down to Potions for a bit. I need to ask Snape something," she said rather coolly, as if nothing happened downstairs.  
"You're going to ask _Snape_ something in private? You know he hates us, and dislikes you," Ron said, thinking Hermione had gone insane.  
"Oh Ron! Nevermind you. Harry, are you feeling well?" Hermione changed the subject, now looking at Harry, who was still thinking.  
"Oh . . . yeah, everything's fine. Have fun with Snape," he said quickly, still thinking about Malfoy. He left Ron and Hermione alone for a moment as he made his way into the partly-empty common room. Shrugging for a moment, Ron came in afterwards as Hermione ran off.

Harry made his way up the boy's dormitory stairs while Ron went to do his Transfiguration homework by the fireplace, and this came with appreciation on Harry's side. He wanted to be alone for a moment and think about Draco's taunts while contemplating other things. Although Malfoy had been passing comments of the like before, and rather recently, Harry only ignored them. But lately, other thoughts that Harry had never expected entered his mind and began to settle.

Did Harry enjoy the attention given by Malfoy?

This thought crept up to him as he fell in bed. No one was in the dormitory, and Harry stared up at the ceiling alone. His emerald green eyes gazed above, trying to make different patterns in the ceiling as he thought. The sun was still high in the air, and its rays seeped in the tall windows, creating yellow spots on the red bed sheets in the shape of the looming windows of the different beds. Harry's own bed didn't receive the gracious light for it was in the corner and he was deprived of it. He lay in the shadows while his green eyes glimmered and as his hair fell messily over his forehead. His thoughts delved in the temptation of those dark eyes, light skin, and the blonde haired boy who was tall with a slightly-broad yet lean build.

Immediately, he shook out of it.

How could he be thinking like that? Harry always avoided the thought that he was turning into what was considered forbidden by morality. What only the _strange_ become, or so he heard. What people made fun of others for. What would shock everyone if they found out.

He shuddered to think that he was gay.

He went deeper into his thoughts, but was interrupted by a knocking.

Snapping out of his musing and sitting up-right, Harry heard a muffled voice behind the door leading into the dorm.  
"Harry, you in there?"  
It was Ron, and immediately Harry got up and opened the door.  
"Yeah I am, what's up?" he asked casually.  
"Nothing much, we have to go to Defense against the Dark Arts. It's almost time," Ron said, trying to peek inside to see what Harry could be up to.  
"Oh, yeah. Lemme' get my stuff," Harry spoke as if he was mumbling while frowning. He went to get his bag and books from his bed, and Ron stepped inside looking around.  
"What were you doing in here, Harry?" he asked curiously, still looking around.  
"Uh, nothing really, just finishing up homework," Harry lied.

Ron stood silent for a moment as he waited for Harry. Finally finishing up, they both made their way down into the class that was most vital for life, at least for Harry.

Harry and Ron entered together while most of the students were already there. Slytherin and Gryffindor were taught together, with all Gryffindor students taking up the left side of the class, and the Slytherin's the right side. An aisle was cut right down the middle from the entrance door to the desk between the two groups of desks and House students.

With both of them finding an empty desk near the front, Harry and Ron sat together, coincidentally directly across Malfoy and his goons. Harry sat in the aisle seat, Malfoy did too. As Umbridge came up in front of the classroom, the whole class straightened up. Instantly, she spoke in her rigid yet falsely soft voice, as she employed the students to read certain chapters in the Ministry-approved textbook quietly, in which Hermione had done so already. The class began the reading and the writing of the one parchment-long summary they were required to complete, though rather lazily. However, each of the Gryffindor's in the class knew they would like it better if they were in the Room of Requirement, learning useful spells from Harry.

After their strict commandment, Ron and Harry lethargically took out their books, parchment, and quills and began to work. Before beginning, however, Harry felt a small tap against his head. Irritably, he looked to his right, and there was Malfoy, smiling at him evilly. A small crumbled up parchment was on the floor that had just hit Harry, in which then Harry picked it up, flashed a glare at the mischievous Malfoy, and read it. To Harry's embarrassing astonishment, it read in curly black ink:

_Wanna' fuck tonight, Potter?_

On the bottom was a drawing of Draco and Harry in position. Harry being the submissive one.

To Harry's complete surprise, embarrassment, anger yet . . . pleasure, he couldn't find words to say, even to himself. Quickly, he hid the note, gave a confused look at Malfoy, and continued to work as he thought about what he normally pondered of -- Malfoy and the forbidden topic of Harry's sexuality.

Harry shook off the thought again. There could be no way.


	2. Hate or Love? Anger or Empathy?

_**Chapter Two – Hate or Love? Anger or Empathy?  
**_

Days went on and cloudless nights passed, and yet the continuous verbal attacks on Harry persisted. Being almost used to it and ignoring them, Harry grew bored of it. All Malfoy did was verbally call Harry gay, but never did anything _physically_.

Harry stopped.

What did he mean by Malfoy never did anything physically? _Physically?_ Harry thought, _why would I think of him doing something physically?_

He was in the common room, still thinking about his pursuer. It was evening, and everyone was down in the Great Hall eating dinner, but Harry didn't go. Thoughts of his questioned sexuality and that blonde-haired Slytherin filled his stomach to the brim as he sat in the comfortable arm-chairs by the crackling fire. The sun was setting, casting luminous orange, pink, and yellowish tints in the sky. In the opposite side of the sky, the creeping darkness grew.

The common room itself was tinted by the colors the setting sun gave off as a golden-yellowish light in shape of the windows reached the maroon carpet. As a result, an effect of quiet peacefulness was given off. Lately, whenever Harry was thinking, his surroundings always provided the right environment. He blankly stared at the carpet, delving in his thoughts of that cruel yet pleasurably torturous boy – his blonde hair -- his lean body – Harry and Draco being alone – being in a room – undressing –

He shook his head.

He was once again entering the restricted area of his imagination and his thoughts. He consistently censored and blocked out those thoughts should they ever arrive – in which they often did. Finally deciding to take his mind off of things, he took out his Potions homework --_Write a response on the usages of Dragon blood in various Potions._

The green-eyed boy sighed, lied on his stomach on the ground with his Potions textbook open, a piece of parchment, quill, and his bag all in front of him. Forgetting his ink bottle, Harry rummaged into his bag to find it, and as he did so, slightly sticking to it was a note.

_Wanna' fuck tonight, Potter?_

The same note Draco had humorously thrown at Harry reappeared. Harry stared at the note, re-entering into his thoughts. It had been many days since Malfoy gave that note, and other minor notes as well, but this one affected Harry the most. He began to regret not meeting Malfoy that night – _What if he was serious?_ Harry thought.

His eyes moved from the cursive writing down to the drawing. It wasn't much, just stick-figured Draco and Harry performing the act of forbidden love. The detail of the drawing was obscure, but even simple pictures held a thousand words.

Harry began his usual musing, but he forced himself out of it.

Shaking his head again, causing his messy hair to fall in a more disorganized manner over his forehead, the scarred boy began to write his response. To avoid thoughts Harry didn't wish to think about, he began to do his schoolwork much more earlier than usual, which came to Hermione's happiness and Ron's curiosity.

"Harry, have you become like Hermione?" Ron would sometimes whisper.  
"What? I'm just trying to do my work," Harry would respond peculiarly.  
"You're doing schoolwork before everyone starts it! She _must've_ hexed you or something," Ron would say as he would glance at Hermione.  
"Shut up Ron," Harry would respond again, trying to focus.

This time, though, Harry was alone to do his work. He looked at his text and back at the parchment, composing a long response for Snape. The longer the response, the less he would have time to think, Harry assumed. Eventually, he ran out of what to write, as he already completed a parchment and a half's worth of a response. Such hard work, Harry knew, would probably be a waste, since Snape hated him.

The sun set further by the time he was done, and dinner time was almost over. The creeping shadow, bringing its dark blue domination of the sky as the moon rose and the stars twinkled, pushed the sun back, leaving a disappearing golden tint in the common room now. Yawning, Harry put his stuff away. Unfortunately yet fortunately, Harry was done with his homework.

Putting his stuff away and dropping his bag off in the boy's dormitory, Harry serenely walked down to the Great Hall. His footsteps echoed in the hallways as he went down the moving staircases alone, passing moving paintings on the walls. Reaching the Great Hall, he encountered students making their way out of dinner in small groups, laughing and chatting while he began to look for Ron and Hermione. As he searched among the many students leaving, he heard the laughter of several Slytherins.

It was Malfoy again.

Trying to avoid looking at him, Harry ignored Malfoy and his gang all together. He tried to make his way into the Great Hall, but luckily ran into Ron, followed by Hermione, who were arguing.

"Hey guys," Harry said, smiling.  
"Hi Harry," they both said together, forgetting about their argument.  
"Where have you been, mate?" Ron asked, as they began making their way upstairs, "You haven't eaten."  
"Yeah, I was upstairs . . . er . . . doing Potions homework," Harry said uncomfortably, thinking the better of saying that, but saying it anyway.  
Ron had his mouth open, and Hermione clapped a bit.  
"Oh Harry, I'm so glad," Hermione grinned.  
"You two are nuts," Ron said, still surprised.

All three of them made their way up, but Harry caught something in the corner of his eye. Malfoy left his group of friends and went towards the boy's bathroom. Falling to his temptation so he could be with Draco alone, Harry excused himself.

"Er, guys, I have to go to the bathroom," he said, rushing off without a response.

He made his way out of the hordes of people going to their common rooms and stepped in the bathroom. There was Malfoy, by a mirror, looking at himself. He caught Harry entering.

"Oh, is it you, Potter?" Draco sneered with no interest. He looked back at his reflection again.

Harry glared at Malfoy, and then simply went to one of the sinks – keeping one sink between the one Malfoy was at and the one Harry was at so there was distance – and washed his hands although he didn't need to. Harry desired to start conversation.

"Why did you write that note to me in Umbridge's class?" Harry blurted out as he shut off the faucet and glanced at himself in the mirror above it.

Draco looked at him for a moment and then smiled with evil intentions in his mind.

"Why Potter? Thinking about it, were you?" Malfoy snarled as he continued to smile while looking at Harry.

Harry said nothing as he went to dry his hands. Malfoy _was_ right after all – Harry was thinking about that for a while. But to cover up his growing insecurity, Harry assumed seriousness in his actions and words.

"Shut up Malfoy, before I make you run to your father," Harry said under his breath, though enough for his Slytherin counter-part to hear.

Immediately, and to Harry's complete surprise, Draco had pinned him to the tiled wall. Face to face, breath to breath, yet mouth's separate, Draco gave an angry look at Harry. Clearly, Harry offended him greatly by insulting him and his father – even indirectly. Now staring at Draco, Harry took notice of his facial features -- his pale skin contrasted with his deep brown eyes, and above them on his forehead, rested his pin-point straight blonde hair. Malfoy's face structure, being a bit long and sharp, complimented the features that Harry began to question himself for.

_Face to face. . ._

Malfoy grabbed Harry by his robes tightly, holding Harry against the wall. Harry looked at Draco as Draco glared back, and feeling threatened and violated as he forgot all soft spots for his hated enemy, Harry managed to punch Malfoy right in the jaw.

Malfoy staggered back, holding his jaw and flashing an angry look at Harry. Pulling his wand out, the blonde-hair boy yelled out, "Conjunctivi—"

"Expelliarmus!" said the scarred boy with a swift hand motion his wand-hand did, apparently pulling out his wand before his rival and saying his spell much faster.

The Slytherin's wand forcibly flew out of his hand, landing near a toilet stall. Being disarmed, Harry still pointed his wand at his predator, who now held his hands up in fear and confusion. Managing to give a weak yet fake smile, Malfoy began to laugh lowly.

"DON'T MAKE GAY JOKES ABOUT ME NEXT TIME OR IT'LL BE YOUR NECK!" Harry yelled in anger, his face turning bright red and his eyes piercing into Malfoy's. The boy who mused a lot was sick of it, he was sick of being confused, of questioning his orientation, of _falling in love with the one who he was facing._

His wand was still raised as he stood there perfectly still, as if he was stunned.

Malfoy seemed to lose his courage again, and staggered a, "I won't."

Harry then slowly lowered his wand but still breathed heavily, lashing his green eyes at his hated yet loved enemy. This time though, Harry was determined to forget all the weak points he had for Draco, now that he promised he won't make fun of Harry anymore. With determination and confidence, Harry stepped out of the bathroom, leaving Malfoy, as he tried to calm down.

Harry could finally stop worrying.

Or could he?

That same night, Harry curled in bed, regretting what he did to Malfoy. _Now he'll never like me, _Harry thought. The moon rose and the sky glimmered with stars as the cool and still air kept the outdoors unusually quiet. Wrapping his blanket tighter around himself, Harry ignored the snores of Ron and the quiet breathing of the others. He began to ponder about Malfoy, his rudeness in the bathroom, the fight, and his out-of-nowhere attraction to Draco. Harry wondered also if all hope was lost now. He could never be with Malfoy.

This time, Harry didn't stop himself from thinking about what he originally didn't want to think about, for the thoughts came back to him. He stepped into his fantasy again, drifting off to sleep.

Draco and Harry – alone in a room – gazing into each other's eyes – undressing each other – wrapping their arms around each other's bare bodies – kissing --

Slowly, Harry fell into a deep sleep of a wonderful dream.


End file.
